Posture control actuator unit and leaning vehicle

Abstract

A leaning vehicle including a vehicle body frame that is configured to lean leftward and rightward respectively when the leaning vehicle is turning left and right, a steerable wheel supported by the vehicle frame body, a steering mechanism steering the steerable wheel, and a posture control actuator device. The posture control actuator device includes a posture control actuator that outputs power to control posture of the vehicle body frame, and an angular rate sensor that detects an amount of change per unit time of a rotation angle of the vehicle body frame around a rotation axis thereof, the rotation angle changing as the vehicle body frame is rotating around the rotation axis. The posture control actuator device is supported by the vehicle body frame, and is attachable to and detachable from the vehicle body frame. The posture control actuator and the angular rate sensor are not displaceable relative to each other.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A posture control actuator device for a leaning vehicle, the leaning vehicle including a vehicle body frame that is configured
 to lean in a leaning-vehicle-leftward direction when the leaning vehicle is turning left, and 
 to lean in a leaning-vehicle-rightward direction when the leaning vehicle is turning right, 
 
       the posture control actuator device comprising:
 a posture control actuator configured to output posture control power to control posture of the vehicle body frame; and 
 an angular rate sensor configured to detect an angular rate that is an amount of change per unit time of a rotation angle of the vehicle body frame around a rotation axis thereof, the rotation angle changing as the vehicle body frame is rotating around the rotation axis, wherein 
 the posture control actuator device is supported by the vehicle body frame in such a manner as to be attachable to and detachable from the vehicle body frame, 
 the posture control actuator and the angular rate sensor are incorporated in such a manner as not to be displaceable relative to each other, and 
 the angular rate sensor and the posture control actuator are integrated into the posture control actuator device, and the posture control actuator device is attached to the vehicle body frame. 
 
     
     
       2. The posture control actuator device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a posture control actuator controller configured to control the posture control actuator based on the angular rate detected by the angular rate sensor, wherein
 the posture control actuator controller, the posture control actuator and the angular rate sensor are incorporated in such a manner as not to be displaceable relative to one another. 
 
     
     
       3. A leaning vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle body frame that is configured to lean in a leaning-vehicle-leftward direction when the leaning vehicle is turning left and to lean in a leaning-vehicle-rightward direction when the leaning vehicle is turning right; 
 at least one steerable wheel supported by the vehicle frame body; 
 a steering mechanism configured to steer the at least one steerable wheel in accordance with manipulation of a rider of the leaning vehicle; and 
 a posture control actuator device, including
 a posture control actuator configured to output posture control power to control posture of the vehicle body frame, and 
 an angular rate sensor configured to detect an angular rate that is an amount of change per unit time of a rotation angle of the vehicle body frame around a rotation axis thereof, the rotation angle changing as the vehicle body frame is rotating around the rotation axis, wherein 
 the posture control actuator device is supported by the vehicle body frame in such a manner as to be attachable to and detachable from the vehicle body frame, 
 the posture control actuator and the angular rate sensor are incorporated in such a manner as not to be displaceable relative to each other, and 
 the angular rate sensor and the posture control actuator are integrated into the posture control actuator device, and the posture control actuator device is attached to the vehicle body frame. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The leaning vehicle according to  claim 3 , wherein, in a front view of the leaning vehicle, the posture control actuator device overlaps a center line passing through a center of the vehicle body frame, the center line being perpendicular to a left-right direction of the vehicle body frame and extending along an up-down direction of the vehicle body frame. 
     
     
       5. The leaning vehicle according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the angular rate sensor is a roll rate sensor, and 
 the rotation axis thereof is a roll axis of the vehicle body frame. 
 
     
     
       6. The leaning vehicle according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the steering mechanism includes
 a handlebar to be manipulated by the rider, and 
 a steering shaft supported by the vehicle body frame in such a manner as to be rotatable on an axis thereof in accordance with the manipulation of the handlebar of the rider; and 
 
 the posture control actuator is configured to output the posture control power to cause the steering shaft to rotate on the axis thereof. 
 
     
     
       7. The leaning vehicle according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the at least one steerable wheel includes
 a left steerable wheel that is positioned further leftward than a center of the vehicle body frame in a left-right direction of the vehicle body frame, and is rotatable around a left steerable axle, and 
 a right steerable wheel that is positioned further rightward than the center of the vehicle frame in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame, and is rotatable around a right steerable axle; 
 
 the leaning vehicle further comprises a link mechanism including a plurality of link members that are displaceable relative to the vehicle body frame and supporting the left steerable wheel and the right steerable wheel, 
 
       the link mechanism being configured
 to cause the leaning vehicle to lean in the vehicle-body-frame-leftward direction when the leaning vehicle is turning left by displacing the vehicle body frame and the plurality of link members relative to one another such that the left steerable axle is positioned higher than the right steerable axle in an up-down direction of the vehicle body frame, and 
 to cause the leaning vehicle to lean in the vehicle-body-frame-rightward direction when the leaning vehicle is turning right by displacing the vehicle body frame and the plurality of link members relative to one another such that the right steerable axle is positioned higher than the left steerable axle in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame; and 
 the posture control actuator is configured to output the posture control power to displace the vehicle body frame and the plurality of link members relative to one another. 
 
     
     
       8. The leaning vehicle according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the posture control actuator device further includes a posture control actuator controller configured to control the posture control actuator based on the angular rate detected by the angular rate sensor, and 
 the posture control actuator controller, the posture control actuator and the angular rate sensor are incorporated in such a manner as not to be displaceable relative to one another.